Valve



c. H. KING..

VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-31, I919.

1,340,71 9, Patented May 18, 1920.

rarrrin STATES PATENT v Lvn. 1

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 18,1920.

Application filed January '31, 1919. Serial No. 274,276.

To all'whom it may concern;

Be it known that I CHARLES H. KING, a citizen of the United tates ofAmerica, and resident of Ithaca, in the county of- Tompkins and State ofNew York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Valves, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This'invention relates to a combined float, gravity valve and ventadapted to use in connection with fuel tanks of internal 'c0m bustionmotors and more particularly for use in connection with such tanksemployed on aeroplanes. or otherwise used where the position of the tankwith relation to the horizontal may be varied.

An object of this invention is to insure proper venting in a fueltankempl oyed on aeroplanes and the like, the said devlce operating toclose the'vent when the tank 1s 1n verted or inclined sharply as whenthe aeroplane is banking speedily, the said venting member assuming itsnormal position upon the righting of the aeroplane.

A further object of this invention is to produce a device'which will becontrolled by the pressure within the tank in order that it will closewhen pressure has become great enough to cause the fluid to flow out ofthe top and the said valve has the peculiar characteristics that it is afloating or a non-floating valve, according to conditions of operation.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists inthe details of construction, and in the arrangement and combination ofpartsto be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had to theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein likecharacters denote corresponding parts in the several views, and inwhich- Figure 1 illustrates a sectional view of a fragment of a tankwith a cap applied thereto and the invention applied to the cap, saidinvention being shown in elevation;

Fig. 2 illustrates a sectional view of a fragment of the cap with thecontrolling device applied thereto; and

Pi g. 3, illustrates a view in elevation of the device showing therelation of parts when the tank is inverted.

In these drawings 5 denotes a fragment of a tank, 6 a cap therefor, allof which maybe of any ordinary construction.

The device as shown in this embodiment of the invention comprises astationary sleeve? stationed in an aperture 8 of the cap 6 and securedtherein in any appropriateway.

An air tube 9 is ,slidable in the sleeve and it has external screwthreads 10 at its outer end engaged by a nut'll, which limits thesliding movement of the air tube in the sleeve. The air tube is of suchlength as to have movement longitudinally of the sleeve and the saidtube has transversely disposed ports 12 communicating with the bore'ofthe sleeve. and adapted to open to the interior of the'tank forventing'purposes, as will presently appear, and the saidtube is free toslide within the sleeve to such an extent as to close the port when theair tube is at the limit of its outward movement.

The inner end of the air tube has a recess 13, the wall of which isthreaded to engage a screw 14, which screw is utilized for holding afloat 15 in place, the said float having the characteristic of operatingby gravity under certain conditions to open the port or to operate bybuoyancy under other con-' ditions to close the port, and the said'valvehas other characteristics as will presently appear, it being seen froman inspection of the drawing that the inner end of the valve has arecess or cavity 16, in which air bubbles may collect under certainconditions of use.

From an inspection of the drawing and reference to the elements of thedevice 'by numbers from the foregoing description, it will be understoodthat it is the purpose of the inventor to have this valve and ventdevice operate under any conditions by placing it in the top of agasolene tank filler cap, or any convenient place at the highest pointof the tank, to give it the best advantages as a vent and at the sametime to be used as a valve that would close itself when the tank isturned upside down, sidewise or fore and aft, as in looping or heavybanking, diving and climbing by an aeroplane. It is the purpose of thisvalve to safeguard against the Diem,

" cHARLEsH. KING, or ITHACA, NEW YORK.

loss of gasolene from the tank or tanks at such times, and also toprevent liability of fire or in, case the pilot should be aft of thetank to prevent a gasolene stream from interfering with his visionduring flight.

The operation of the valve will be understood by reference to thedrawing where the number 6 represents the top of the tank filler cap,whereas '7 is the stationary valve sleeve preferably sweated in the topof the filler cap to form a sleeve for the valvestem. In Fig. 2 thedevice is shown in position with the vent or port holes open and thevalve at its lowermost point, and is shown with the filler cap and valvein its normal position until the tank is filled to a point level withthe top side of the float. If the tank is filled above this point, thefloat starts to rise by reason of the air bubble that is formed in theair pocket 16 in the bottom of the float and it will continue to riseuntil the flange on the top of the float sets tight against the bottomof the valve stem sleeve, thereby closin the ports 12 in the side of thevalve stem.

The device operates in the same way when the tank is turned upside downas in looping except by the time the tank has reached this position, theair bubble which stays in the float when the tank is upright, has beenreleased and'the valve is closed as shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 shows the operation of the valve closed as when the tank isupside down or in any position 15 past the horizontal line laterally orlongitudinally. At any of these points past 15, the valve will closeitself by gravity due to its weight or by gasolene starting through theport holes 12. The air bubble operatesthe valve in closing from the timethe tank is full until the gasolene is two-thirds consumed, when at thispoint,,and with gasolene tank turned sidewise or fore and aft past 15,with gasolene from one hal; to two-thirds consumed, there will be no airbubble formed in the pocket 15, but during the time that the tank ismoving from the horizontal to 15 past horizontal position, the valvewill close from gasolene starting to flow through the port holes, or incase the gasolene is too low in the tank to touch the float or flowthrough ports 12 in valve stem, the valve will close itself by gravityand will stay closed until gasolene tank rights itself again, going pastthe horiv opens by gravity.

In order that a valve may accomplish this result, the float mustbe bothfloating and non-floating, the function of which is attained by havingthe float of proper weight and of proper configuration to operate underall conditions, both as a float and vent,

and at the same time to accomplish the purpose for which it is intended.

I claim:

1. In a controlling valve for tanks, a tank having an opening in itstop, an air pipe slidable in the opening, thesaid pipe having an openouter end and ports near the inner end communicating with the interiorof the tank and the interior of the pipe, the member of the tank havingthe opening being operative to seal the said ports when the pipe slidesoutwardly, and a combination float and weight on the inner end of theair pipe, having a recess in its inner end forming an air chamber. p

2. In a controlling :valve for tanks, atank having a member with anaperture therein at what is normally the top of the tank, an air pipeslidably held in the said opening, the said air pipe having a port nearits inner end communicating with the interior of.

the tank and with the interiorv of the air pipe,the said port beingsealed bythe member in which the pipe is slidable when the pipe movesoutwardly, and a float secured to. the inner end of the said pipe, saidfloat hav,

ing a recess in its inner end forming ,anair chamber.

3. In a controlling valve for tanks, a sleeve communicating with theatmosphere and the interior of the tank at the-top thereof, an air pipeslidable in the sleeve,.the said pipe being of greater length than thesleeve, the said air pipe having ports adapted to communicate with theinterior of the tank and the interior of the pipe, the said ports beingsealed when the pipe moves outwardly in the sleeve, a combined floatandweight on the inner end of the air-pipe, said combined float and weighthaving a recess in its outer end, the wall of said recess beingoutwardly flared, and means for limitingthe motion of the air pipe inthe sleeve.

- 7 CHARLES H. KING.

